Owner or Manager? Stewardship 101

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.” — 1 Chronicles 29:11-12‍

“The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” — Psalm 24:1‍

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received 5 bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!’” — Matthew 25:19-21‍

“Now a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.” — 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NLT)

If you’ve ever wondered who really owns your money, Scripture leaves no doubt. God is the ultimate Source, Creator, Provider, and Owner of everything. There’s nothing on Earth that doesn’t belong to Him. Once we recognize and affirm that God is the owner, then we can begin to discover our responsibilities as a manager. God is also the ultimate Investor who entrusts us with His resources for accomplishing His Kingdom purposes. In Matthew 25, Jesus’ parable helps us understand how to be wise and faithful stewards. Randy Alcorn offers these insights into our stewarding role as God’s servants:

• Stewardship: Servants wisely use the assets entrusted to them to expand their master’s estate.

• Accountability: Servants are accountable; their master will ask them to explain why they invested as they did.
• Faithfulness: Servants seek to be trustworthy, stewarding their master’s estate in a way that pleases Him.
• Wisdom in investing: Servants choose their investments carefully to multiply their master’s resources. 
• Readiness for the master’s return: Servants are constantly aware that their master could return any day. 
• Single-mindedness: Servants’ lives revolve around serving their master well; it is their one purpose in life (Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions, and Eternity, p. 148-149).
  

1. In your own words, how would you describe the difference between being an owner and a manager?
2. In what ways have you been living as an owner or a manager in stewarding God’s resources?
3. If you lived more like a manager, how would that change the way you steward God’s resources?
4. Which of the Alcorn’s insights on stewardship speak most powerfully to you? 

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